What do you do if you want to monitor your progress using data visualization?

Determine what you want to achieve and which metrics are relevant to track your progress. This could be anything from personal fitness goals to business KPIs. After completing the first step, we need to build the right chart with the appropriate data to display and monitor the progress. Usually, a time series chart combined with a few other chart types like bar or line would be helpful in this regard. Additionally, depending on your use case, you may want to consider absolute versus cumulative values. Moreover, we should not overlook the importance of data points when monitoring progress; this is different from normal data points, where time-related columns become essential to show and monitor progress in data visualization.

Choosing the Metric is always the first step towards monitoring progress. The first question we ask stakeholders when we want to create a dashboard for them is their KPIs, which they want to track. This works the same way! When we want to monitor our progress using data visualization, we must understand and define the metrics we want to track. What are the most critical KPIs we care about and want to improve? We might start with many metrics and sometimes cut them down to 5-8 metrics that matter the most. We could use SWOT analysis to define the top metrics and start with them. Measuring too many metrics will not be a good idea as we cannot focus on the main ones. It is also essential that we can redefine our metrics with time.

First we have to define what we are going to monitor. Based on problem chose rights metrics which should be related the objective and measurable. start collecting data and chose right tool to visualize and keep monitoring.

Metrics and KPIs are the most defined way of measuring the progress or success. Defining the KPIs will enable audience to track their trend of their business. In order to choose metrics we can collaborate with stakeholders holders and understand business and data. In this way, we can plan to visualise the trend of those metrics that needs to be tracked.

What matters most? Identify what aspects of my progress I want to track. For example, if I'm learning a new language, I might track daily vocabulary learned or conversation fluency scores. Quantify It! Ensure the chosen metrics can be measured with numbers. Keep it Simple: Start with a few key metrics to avoid information overload.

Spreadsheets/Excel for Starters: Simple tools like spreadsheets/Excel are great for basic data entry and creating rudimentary charts. Level Up with Software: Consider data visualization software for more advanced features and interactive charts. There are free and paid options available.

Visualisation tools can also be used for small scale automations. It can be used to create triggers that sets the action of sending out mails and notifications for changes in the metrics value. For instance we can use Power BI to achieve this automation by creating a workflow which will send mails to everyone in data set

For effective visualisation, it is important to understand the data. Different data types can be visualised in different ways. There are numerous combinations of Datatypes for choosing the visualisation of a metric. Understanding business, data and KPIs will enable you to choose the right visualisation. We can also refer to visualisation cheat sheets by Andrew Abela for designing your charts

Match the Chart to the Data: Choose the chart type that best represents my data. Line graphs for trends, bar charts for comparisons, pie charts for proportions, etc. Keep it Clean: Avoid clutter! Use clear labels, titles, and a limited color palette for easy understanding. Highlight What's Important: Emphasize key data points or trends with visual cues.

See the Big Picture: Look for patterns and trends in my data over time. Am I making steady progress? Are there any plateaus or setbacks? Identify What's Working: See which strategies or approaches seem to be driving the positive trends. Course Correction: Use the insights to adjust my approach if needed.

Motivate Myself: Share progress visualizations with myself regularly to stay motivated and celebrate milestones. Collaborate with Others: If relevant, share progress with a mentor or coach for feedback and encouragement.

Regular Updates: Keep my data and visualizations updated to reflect ongoing progress. Refine and Adapt: As my goals or strategies evolve, I may need to adjust the metrics I track or the way I visualize them.

I believe monitoring progress through data visualization involves setting clear objectives, selecting suitable data visualization tool, designing informative dashboards, updating data regularly, use visualizations to identify trends, patterns, and anomalies in your data, sharing insights, and iteratively refining visualizations based on feedback and evolving needs.

Data Quality: Ensure the data I'm using is accurate and consistent for reliable analysis. Context is Key: Consider external factors that might be influencing my progress.